Automobile frame straightening machine



NOV. 29, WOCHNER 1,889,187

AUTOMOBILE FRAME STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1931 0 a F 5 E Ba igg, i in b 0 /O O I 8 79 l 5 MXTOR. W mML-km {Lip .4 TTORXB 1 PatentedNov. 29, 1932 UNITED] STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY wocmma, on Rock Ismm),ILIJNQIS, ASSIGNOR 'no new mnurncrummi comrm, or aocx ISLAND. rumorsAUTOMOBILE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Application filed-June v6, 1931. SerialNo. 542,548.

My invention has .reference to an automobile frame straighteningmachine, of the type which was shown and described in my formerapplication for Letters Patent of the United States, filed May-4, 1931,Serial No. 534,889. The present improvement has to do more speciallywith the clamping devices for holding slotted beam. The presentinventlon also a frame piece in place while it is being operated upon,and almsto provide such devices which will possess a greater rangeandeffectiveness than those shown in said former application. Said devicesare adapted for use with supporting beams such as were also ointed outin said application, or with other ame-work whichincludes alongitudinally possesses certain adjustment possibilities not containedin the former device. The particular construction, operation, andarrangement of the various parts of the invention will be more fullyointed out in the following specification, re erence being had to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. I shows they invention in itsunitary form, in side elevation. I Fig. II is an edge view thereof.vFig. III is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. I.-

Fig. IV is a detail of the support 6. Fig. V. is a top view of theanchor-post 21. The reference numbers 1, 1 indicate a pair ofhollowrails, supported at their ends on footings 2, and provided attheir edges with flanges 3, forming tracks on the upper faces of therails forthe wheels of motor vehicles. Said rails are channelled intheir lower faces for the support of hangers 4, arranged in pairs, eachpair of which holds in a horizontal position a cross-beam formed ofspaced channel-plates 5. Held vertically in the space between saidplates is a support 6, by means of a U-bolt 7, passing through a pair ofopenings 8 and!) in the support. Another U-bolt 10 is heldin asimilarpair of openings below the beam, with enough space between saidU-bolts to permit of a sliding movement of the support 6 along the beam.Thesupport 1s (provided with two series of the holes 8 an 9, to permitof selective positioning of thetU-bolts, to vary the height ofv thesuppor Secured to the upper end of the support 6 1s a pair ofangle-plates 11, by means of rivets 12 passing through openings 13in theupper end of the plate 6. The lates 11 project beyond the support in one'rection, and in the projecting ends is a spacer-block 14, held in placeby a rivet 15. In the space between the block 14 and plate 6.isvertically slidable a post 16, provided at its upper end withan angularextension 17, for engagement with a part of a vehicle frame, asindicated at 18. A yokeis pivotally connected with the supporting plate6by means of a bolt 19 passing through one ofthe o enings 8, said yokeconsisting of a pair of rs 20, extending on opposite sides of the plate,and united at one of their ends b a rivet 21 passing through a spacer 22between said ars. The other ends of the bars 20' are projected andseparated by a' spacer 23, held in place by a' rivet 24. The post 16passes downwardly in the space between the spacer 23 and support 6, andwhen the yoke hangs freely 1 on the pivot 19 the post 1s gripped tightlybetween the support and spacer 23, and held from downward movement, IIon the long end of the yoke being raised, owever, the post is free to bemoved up or down, and can be adjusted vertically, to conform theposition of the upper end of the post to the frame of an automobile ortruck of any ordinary height from the ground. As soon as the adjustmentis made the yoke isreleased from its'raised position,'permitting it todrop back into position for againgripping the post 16.

Also supported on the beam 5 is an anchor post 25, of I-beam formation,and the central web of which is projected downwardlv mto a tongue 26,through a hole in which ing passes a pin post 16 is positioned a powerack 28, with the piston rod 29 adapted to exert pressure against thelast named post. If force is exerted against the post 25 above the lowerend thereof it has a tendency to tip the post, causing the beam 5 to begripped tightly between the I-beam portion thereof and the pin 27, andlockin the post from movement on the beam. It t ereupon provides a ri "danchorage for the base of the jack, an precludes, the necessity of usingblocking between the rail 1 and post 16, if the distance between them istoo great to permit of the jack being supported directly against therail, as can be done in some cases. If force is exerted a ainst the post25 near the lower end there- 0? it will slide readily along the beam,and can be placed in any adjusted pos1t1on that may be desired. a

It will be understoodthat when in use the injured part of the vehicleframe will be engaged by .one of the posts 16 on one side and by two ofthe posts on the other side, force being applied to one or other of saidposts. Besides the vertical adjustment of the support 6 and'of the post16 before referred to, numerous other adjustments thereof can be made,so that they can be adapted for use with frames of any height and in anyposition. For instance, the position of the support 6 can be reversed,with the post 16 on the other side thereof, or the position of the post16 itself can be reversed. By pushagainst the lower part of the sulpport6 it can be caused to move read y along the beam 5, but if force isexerted at a higher point, or against the upper end of the post 16, itwill ten to tip the support 6, causing the U-bolts therein to grip theupper and lower faces of the beam 5, and hold the support from furthermovement, similarly to the manner pointed out in said formerapplication. 1

When an adjustment is made in the height of the support 6, by changingthe positions of the U-bolts 7 and 10, the position of the yoke 20 canbe shifted to conform thereto, by removing the bolt 19 and replacing itin one of the other holes 8.

The support 6 is formed of a piece of heavy sheet metal which willreadily enter the channel in 'the beam 5, and the other parts are allformed of metal of considerable strength,

- well fitted for the work for which the ma-- chine is designed. Changescan be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departingfrom the scope of the inventlon, as pointed out herein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a suitabIy supported beam, having a channellongitudinally thereof, a support slidable in said channel, a

guide on the upper end of said support, a

27. Between the post 25 and frame-engaging member slidable vertically insaid guide, and a gripping frame pivoted to said support, andautomatically engagin said frame-engaging member in a downwar movementthereof.

2. In combination with a suitably supported beam, longitudinallychanneled, a metal plate support slidable in said channel and providedwith series of holes near its edges, a U-bolt in two of said holes abovethe beam for the support of said plate, a similar bolt in two of saidholes below the beam for engagement with the beam upon the support beingtipped in either direction, said bolts being capable of adjustment inothers of said holes, a ide on the upper end of said support, arame-engaging post movable vertically in said guide, and a grippingframe pivoted to said support, engageable with said post to hold thesame in adjusted positions the pivot of said frame being also capable oadjustment in the holes in said support.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY WOCHNER.

